Detachable lever lock devices



Nov. l5, 1955 M. F. KOENIG 2,723,571

DETACHABLE LEVER LOCK DEVICES Filed Dec. 18, 1952 928 i 'Hl 88 64 eo/lez 88 l 7072 loo-f "in United States Patent @ence 2,723,571 Patented Non. 15, 1955 2,723,571 DETACHABLE LEVER LOCK DEVICES Martin F. Koenig, Hammer, Inc., ware Milwaukee,` Wis., assigner to Cutler- Milwauk'ee, Wis., a corporation of Dela- This invention relates to detachable lockingY devices for the operating levers of electric switches and the like, and more particularly to such locking devices for levers which may be oscillated within a bushing or the like to a plurality of predetermined positions.

In certain applications of electric switches of the type provided with an operating lever which must be oscillated in a plane to predetermined positions to elfect operation of the switch, it is desirable that oscillation of the lever from certain positions be easily accomplished but that oscillation of the lever from certain other positions be made somewhat more difficult to prevent accidental or inadvertent operation of the switch.

Certain prior switches incorporated locking means' affording a similar characteristic. However, when once completed or installed such switches could not be readily modified, and therefore were unsuitable for use in various applications wh'ere changing operating conditions required that the locking feature be eliminated or provided in other positions of the lever. Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a lever lock for switches and the like which' may lne-readily attached to or detached from a switch, even after theV switch has been installed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lever lock of the character described which may be installed without the aid of tools and which has certain interchangeable parts providing the locking feature aforementioned, for various switch lever positions.

Dther objects and advantagesfof this invention' willhereinafte appear.

The accompanying drawings illustrate certain embodi` ments of the invention which will nowy be described, it being understood that the embodiments shown are'susceptible of various modifications in respectto structural details without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure lis a vertical sectional view of a lever lock embodying the invention, together with portions of a switch.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the lever lock of Fig.- 1 showing the lswitch lever, in elevation,'in a'n alternative' position.

Fig. 3 is a top view of a lever lock; with a portion of the lever shown in transverse crosssection.

Fig. 4 is a side `elevational view of a lever lock embodying the invention, together with portions of the switch lever and bushing.

Fig. 5 is a side elevationalV view of o'ne die-cast part of a lever lock.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 'respectively show modied forms' of die-cast parts of lever locks constructed in accordance with my invention.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawing,A the numeral 10l designates a fragment of a suitable'insulating switch' base, and 12 designates a dat metal coverand guide plate vfor the recessedup'per'endof said' base.` Plate-12- has a centrally located elongated opening 14. Overlying the coverplate' 12 and secured in position by any prei ferredV fasteningmeans, isa metal top pla'te`16 having circularly perforated upwardly bulged central portion`18 of circular forni.' Said opening is alined with opening 14 to jointly accommodate the reduced lower end 2,0 of a threaded mounting bushing 22, which is upset against the lower surface' of to'p plate 16 to rigidly secure the top plate and bushing together. The threaded por# tion of bushing 22 is further provided with ythe usual longitudinal slot or keyway 24. An upturned ear 26', formed integrally with top plate 16, extends into slot 24 to insure proper positioningl of slot 24 with respect to plate 16 for a purpose hereinafter described. The central opening in bushing 22 is of varying diameter to form a retaining shoulder 2S Ifor cooperation with a por# tion of operating lever-32.

Pivotally disposed within bushing portion 30 of an operating lever 32. of lever 32 shaped as to 22 is the spherical The lower end34 extends through opening 14, which is so limitthe lever to oscillatory movement in a single plane. Any suitable switch mechanism may be associated with lever 32, the various parts of such mechanisrn being located within the recess in base 10. y

The upper portion 36 of lever 32 is provided with an integral annular projection or collar 38. The upper end of portion 36 is of reduced diameter to accommodate a Washer 40 which is riveted to said portion 36, as Vshoivnl A sleeve 42, having reduced inside diameter at its lower e'nd 44, is telescoped onto portion 36 of lever 32 with its lower end overlying collar 3S. A coiled compression spring 48 is positioned between portion 36 and sleeve 42 and is interposed under a predetermined degree of compression between shoulder 46 and washer 40.` Spring 48 thus normally urges the lower end 44of sleeve 42 into engagement with collar 3S. An approximately spherical cap 50 having therein a threaded recess is screwed down onto the externally threaded upper end ot' sleeve 42. AnotherV recess in the top of cap 50 accommodates a substantially hemispherical luminous indicating member 52. The edges defining the latter recess are upset or crimped over member 52 to retainl the same.

Surrounding bushing 22 at its upper end is a leve'r lock 54 which comprises two sections 56 and 5S, preferably metal die castings; the respective faces 60 and 62 (see Fig. 3) of which are complementally formed and are held in closely spaced relationship by a pair of spring metal clips 64, 64. Sections 56 and 58 when assembled are symmetrical about a plane which coincides with the plane in which lever 32 is permitted to oscillatey byl elongated perforation 14. The sections 56 and 58 differ inrespect of a projection 68 on section 56 and the provision thereon of a pair of studs or projections 70 extending outwardly from face 6i). Section 58 has a pair of recesses 72 in face 62 adapted to receive studs 70 to properly aline the sectionsrwhen joined.

When joined, sections ture having a base portion 74 which, as best illustrated in Fig. 3, is generally circular. y The upper wall 76 of the structure is arched upwardly in its plane of symmetry from opposite ends of the structure as illustrated in Figs. l, 2, and 4. The sections 56 and 58 when assembled at the desired position upon bushing l22 have applied thereto the pair of clips 64, 64, the inwardly angled arms 88 of which engage the walls of suitable notches formed in the respective sections to provide for retention thereof in proper relationship to each other. As shown in"Figs. 3 and `4 said clips are suitably restrained against axial movement relative to the assembled sections, by cooperation of the ilatconnecting portions with the complementary slots 84, Sil-,formed ing-the respective sections.

The spring clips 64, 64 are generally U-shaped strips 56 and 58 form a hollow strucf of spring steel or the like. The connecting portion of each clip 86 may be provided, as illustrated in Fig. 4, with an elongated opening 90 to increase its tiexibility. The base 74 of the assembled lever lock 54 is provided with a central opening 92 which is threaded and of diameter to mate with the external threads of bushing 22. Extending into opening 92 from section 56 is the projection 68 which is adapted for insertion into slot 24 of bushing 22, to prevent rotary displacement of the assembled sections.

The lever 32 extends through a transverse slot 94 in the top wall of lever lock 54. The central area 96 of slot 94 is somewhat elliptical, the minor axis of the ellipse lying in the plane of symmetry, and is large enough to accommodate the lower end 44 of sleeve 42. The slot 94 is elongated on either side of its central area 96 to permit movement of lever 32 to either side of its central position. These elongated areas are of sufficient width to accommodate the arm 36 of handle 32 but are too narrow to accommodate the lower end 44 of sleeve 42. Projection 6% of section 56 and ear 26 of top plate 16 are so arranged that when each is inserted within slot 24 of bushing 22, slot 94 of the lever lock and opening 14'- of cover plate are elongated in the same plane.

When lever 32 is moved to its central or intermediate position, spring 48 biases sleeve 42 downwardly so that its lower end 154.- lies within slot 94 and abuts collar 33 of lever 32, which is disposed within the hollow portion 9S of the lever lock 54. A sideward pressure upon handle 32 is then ineffective to move the handle to the right or to the left since the elongated sides of slot are of insufcient Width to accommodate lower end 44 of sleeve 42. To move lever 32 to the left or as shown in Fig. 2, to the right, sleeve 052 must iirst be retracted upwardly against the bias of spring 4S to withdraw the lower end 44 of the sleeve 42 from the widened area 96 of slot 94. When the sleeve is so withdrawn, manual pressure to the right or left will move the lever to its corresponding extreme position. Upon release of the sleeve 42, it will be urged downwardly so that its lower edge rests upon the curved top of upper wall 76.

Lever 32 may be returned to the central position by manual movement, retraction of the sleeve 42 being unnecessary. When lever 32 has reached its central position the lower end 44 of sleeve 42 will snap into opening 96.

Thus, while lever 32 may be returned to central position from its left-hand or right-hand side position by mere transverse movement thereof, a more complex action, and one not to be accomplished accidentally, is required to move lever 32 from its central position or from one extreme position directly to the other.

Fig. 6 illustrates a modified form of the device wherein it is desired that lever 32 be afforded unobstructed movement from its right-hand position to its central position, or from its central to its left-hand position; or alternatively from its left-hand to its central position. It will be noted, however, that movement of said lever to its righthand position will be obstructed until the sleeve 42 is manually retracted. The lever lock parts illustrated in Fig. 6 would in such case be substituted for the lever lock parts 54 shown in Fig. 3. Section 53 of the lever lock of Fig. 6 is identical with the correspondingly numbered section of Figs. 1 through 5. However, section 100 differs from section S6 aforedescribed in that the elongated area of opening iol in section 10@ is suiciently wide throughout its length to accommodate and afford free movement of the lower end 44 of sleeve 42.

The lever lock parts illustrated in Fig. 7 permit movement of the lever 32 aforementioned to either side of its central position upon mere manual transverse movement, but requires retraction of sleeve 42 in moving lever 32 from either extreme position to central position or from either extreme position to the other extreme position. Sections HB6 and 16S of this lever lock, while otherwise like sections 56 and 58, have an elongated opening 1,10

which is of sufcient width in the extreme positions of the lever 32 to accommodate the lower end 44 of sleeve 42 but is constricted to accommodate only arm 36 of lever 32 in its central position.

A farther modification of the lever lock parts is shown in Fig. 8. The lever lock parts there shown have an elongated opening il?. which is sufficiently wide to accommodate the lower end 44 of sleeve 42 only in the lefthand position of the lever 32. This lock permits lever 32 to be readily moved between its central and right-hand positions and from either of these positions to its lefthand position. Movement from its left-hand position, however, can only be accomplished if sleeve 42 is retracted.

The ease with which the various lever locks aforedescribed may be attached to or removed from the switch, for repair, substitution or replacement, is an important safety factor. When such a lever lock is used, for example, in conjunction with a switch which controls the operation of a dangerous or a delicate instrumentality one modiiication of the lock might be used during periods when that instrumentality is in storage, another while it is being tested, and still other modiications may be used for various operating situations of the instrumentality.

While l have herein contemplated production of the sections in the form of metal die-castings, it is to be understood that, if desired, other materials, such as molded plastics, might be employed. In practice I prefer to employ zinc die-castings.

l claim:

l. For a lever oscillatable in a mounting member, said lever having a retractable portion, a lever lock through which said lever extends and comprising a pair of complementally formed sections adapted for attachment to opposite sides of said mounting member, said sections jointly providing in the upper wall thereof an opening elongated in the plane of oscillation of said lever, said opening being of a width to accommodate said lever upon retraction of said retractable portion and being of a width over a part of its length to accommodate said lever including said retractable portion, and fastening means to retain said members in assembled relationship.

2. For a lever oscillatable in a mounting member and comprising a sleeve retractably mounted upon the lever, said sleeve being biased to unretracted position, a lever lock through which said lever extends and comprising a pair of complementally formed sections attachable to opposite sides of the mounting member, each section having an opening formed in the upper wall thereof, said openings jointly forming a single opening elongated in the plane of oscillation of said lever, said opening being of a width over a portion of its length to accommodate said lever and said retractable sleeve and of a width over another portion of its length to accommodate said lever only.

3. ln combination, a mounting bushing for a switch, a lever lock comprising two complementally formed sections secured to each other by a pair of spring clips to form a hollow structure having a base portion attached to the upper end portion of said bushing and an upper wall having an elongated opening formed therein, a lever having a spherical portion oscillatably disposed within said bushing, said lever extending upwardly through said opening, said lever having a sleeve surrounding the same and normally spring-biased downwardly beyond said upper wall, said opening being of a width over a portion of its length to accommodate said lever only, and of suiicient width over another portion of its length to accommodate both said lever and said sleeve.

4. In a lever lock for an electric switch, in combination, an operating lever, a downwardly spring-biased sleeve retractably mounted upon said lever, said lever lock comprising a pair of complementally formed sections and a pair of spring clips attached to said sections jointly to retain the same in assembled relation, each of said sections being so formed as to provide one-half of a hollow structure the base portion of which is formed to non-rotatably accommodate the externally threaded upper end portion of a hollow bushing, the arcuate upper wall of said hollow structure having an elongated opening therethrough of varying width for accommodation of said lever throughout the length of said opening and for accommodation of said retractable sleeve throughout a predetermined portion of the length of said opening.

5. In combination, a lever oscillatable in a mounting member to predetermined right-hand side, central and left-hand side positions and comprising a sleeve retractably mounted upon said lever, said sleeve being biased to unretracted position, a lever lock through which said lever extends and comprising a pair of complementally formed sections adapted for attachment to opposite sides of the mounting member and each having an opening in the upper wall thereof forming, when said sections are joined, a single opening elongated in the plane of oscilla tion of said lever, said opening being adapted throughout its length to accommodate said lever and to accommodate said retractable sleeve in at least one of said predetermined positions.

6. The combination according to claim 5, in which said elongated opening is of sucient width throughout its length to accommodate said lever, and of suicient width to accommodate said retractable sleeve only in said central position.

7. The combination according to claim 5 in which said elongated opening is of suiicient width throughout its length to accommodate said lever and of suiicient width to accommodate said retractable sleeve only in said central and one of said side positions.

8. The combination according to claim 5, in which said elongated opening is of suflicient Width throughout its length to accommodate said lever and of suicient width to accommodate said retractable sleeve only in one of said side positions.

9. The combination according to claim 5, in which elongated opening is of suilcient width throughout its length to accommodate said lever and of sutcient width to accommodate said retractable sleeve only in said rightband side position and said lefthand side position.

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